This application is subject to Disclosure Document Program, the disclosure having been filed 10 May 2001 and having been assigned number 493,330.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to vehicle brake lights, specifically to a method and apparatus of maintaining the illumination of the brake lights even after the release of the brake pedal while the vehicle is substantially stationary on highways so as to alert other drivers and ensure safety.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other devices that partially address the control of the illumination of the brake lights for the purpose of alerting other motorists on the state of a vehicle""s slow movement. Notable of these are the following two patents:
One is the U.S. Pat. No. 4,806,782, issued to Patrick J. Bernal on Feb. 21, 1989. Although this device addresses the same matter in some ways, it is a complicated device that is difficult and expensive to install as well as limited in option. For example, the only way for this device to sense the movement of a vehicle is to directly measure the speed of the vehicle by attaching a sensor on a rotational shaft of the vehicle, requiring expert installation.
Another device was patented to Paul J. Michaud on Jul. 2, 1996 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,532,674. This device is, by and large, limited to motorcycles assuming the presence of certain devices exclusive to motorcycles. As with the previous device, the motion of the motorcycle is detected by means of a sensor installed to a rotational shaft, requiring complicated and expensive installation.
The present invention relates to an auxiliary brake light control system which has its primary application in motor vehicles equipped with standard transmissions. In such vehicles, the brake lights are normally illuminated by means of a pressure switch associated with the brake pedal whenever pressure is manually-applied to the brake pedal by the driver. However, as the car slows toward a stop, or after it has actually stopped the driver normally releases his foot from the brake pedal and moves his left foot over to the clutch and his right foot over to the gas pedal thereby turning off the brake light to falsely indicate to those following that the car is not stopped. However, since the car is actually cruising at a very low speed or stopped, severe safety hazards may result. The present invention provides an auxiliary brake light control system which senses the motion of the motor vehicle by means of magnets attached to a rotating shaft whose speed of rotation is proportional to the speed of the motor vehicle to generate a first signal when the speed of the motor vehicle is faster than a predetermined speed and a second signal when it is moving slower than the predetermined speed. A relay coil is normally energized in response to the first signal to keep the brake lights off unless the operator applies pressure to the brake pedal, but for switching the relay coil to a de-energized state whenever the speed falls below a predetermined value for turning on the brake lights even if the operator removes his foot from the brake pedal. The detected signal from the rotating shaft is amplified, smoothed to a DC level, and applied to a comparator whose output controls a transistor switch to maintain the relay coil energized or de-energized, as desired. A DPDT switch is responsive to the state of the relay coil for supplying 12 volt battery potential to the brake lights when the relay coil is de-energized.
A new system to illuminate and maintain illuminated a brake light on a motorcycle anytime the throttle handle is in the idle position, or, primarily when the motorcycle is substantially stopped. In one system, an electrical switch linked with the brake light electrical circuit and mounted in the throttle handle assembly, is so positioned and aligned with a plunger molded on the throttle handle, to provide that anytime the throttle handle is in it""s normal or released idle position, the plunger will actuate the switch to complete the circuit and illuminate the brake light. In another system, a control senses motorcycle movement, and illuminates the brake light when the motorcycle is sufficiently stopped, as at a traffic signal. Yet another system combines the two systems, automatically illuminating the brake light when the motorcycle has been stopped and the throttle handle is in the idle position.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide an electronic apparatus for maintaining illumination of the brake lights initiated with the depression of the brake pedal of a vehicle even after the brake pedal is released while the vehicle is substantially stationary.
The present invention overcomes many of the shortcomings of the prior arts, some of which have been mentioned above, by providing a relatively simple circuit that is mainly made up of common relays. This invention also provides economical and simple ways to detect the state of the movement of a vehicle by employing mercury switches. In particular, this device does not require installation of a speed sensor on a drive shaft of a vehicle as in the prior art. Not only can this device be expertly and originally installed by the manufacturers of vehicles, it can also be easily installed by anyone handy with a few common tools. This invention is, however, flexible and does not exclude the use of such speed sensors as mentioned.
Use of such devices as the mercury switches enables this invention to be easily used in almost all forms of vehicles, including motorcycles, mopeds, and other utility vehicles.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part hereof, and in which is shown, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawing, like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views.
The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims.